Insert feed



9 9- w. E. ROSEBUSH I 9 3 INSERT FEED Filed Jan. 2, 1937 2 Sheets-Shec 1 INVENTOR Q E ROJ5m5%/.

V BY

ATTORNEYS J. N), 19 39. 7 w. E ROSEBUSH 2,143,715

, INSERT FEED Filed Jan. 2, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES E -ATENT OFFICE Application January 2,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a device designed and adapted for use in conjunction with a sheet- :folding machine, for the purpose of inserting suitable matter, such as bills, invoices, slips containing addresses, circulars, advertising folders, etc., between folds of the sheets as they are folded one at a time by said machine.

The principal object of the invention is to add to the usefulness of a folding machine of the indicated character and, at the same time, facilitate the stuffing or insertion of suitable matter together with folded sheets into window and other envelopes, and between folds of sheets to be inserted in envelopes and those folded sheets themselves constituting mailable folders.

The nature of the invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will appear when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. l is a fragmentary side view showing certain features of a folding machine selected to illustrate the device of the present invention shown applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section;

Fig. 3 is an end view;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale and illustrating the manner in which an insert is introduced between the folds of a sheet as it is being folded;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fold pocket constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig; 6 is a perspective view of an insert of a type fed by the device of the present invention.

In the present instance the device of the pres-- ent invention is shown, by way of example, in use in conjunction with certain features of a folding machine of the type disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 64,862, filed by me February 20, 1936.

The machine includes a main roller I0, auxiliary rollers II, I2 and I3, respectively, and fold pockets I4 and I5, respectively. The arbors of the several rollers are journaled in bearings embodied by standards I6. Each of the auxiliary rollers II, I2 and I3 is resiliently mounted as shown. All of the rollers rotate on horizontal axes. mounted will exert proper folding pressure in conjunction with the roller I0 and also to properly advance the sheets being folded. Between the rollers I I and I2 and the rollers I2 and I3, in order to deflect the leading edge of each sheet into the related pocket I4 or I5 as the sheet is being advanced, there is provided a deflector Each auxiliary roller being resiliently 1937, Serial No. 118,874

I'I supported at the ends by plates I8 which are adjustably mounted on the sides of the standards I6, respectively. The deflectors are half round in cross section between the ends thereof overlying the roller ID. The deflectors I'I cooperate with all the rollers and the fold pockets I4 and I5 in folding the sheets. Each of the fold pockets is made preferably of a single piece of sheet metal so as to provide a fiat fold plate or member I9 and a back check plate or member joined to the plate I9 by a grooved bight 2I. The lower edge portion 22 of the plate 20 is curved forwardly so that the mouth of the bight will be flared to readily receive the leading edge of the sheet. Each pocket is suspended on a rod 23 which extends through lugs 24 upstruck from the plate I9, said rod having its opposite ends supported, respectively, in bearings 25 adjustably secured to the standards I6 respectively. In the present instance the folding mechanism illustrates the folding of a letter sheet of paper 8 inch-es wide by 11 inches long, the sheet being given two folds spaced approximately equidlstantly transversely of the longitudinal axis of the sheet.

The device of the present invention will now be described. A plate is; mounted on legs 3,I secured as at 32 to the standards I6. The plate 30 is disposed at an angle of approximately 45 or, in other words, extends forwardly and downwardly toward the fold pocket I5. The plate 30 is adapted to support the pieces of material hereinabove enumerated in stacked formation, which pieces are to be fed one at a time in timed accord with the folding of the sheets one at a time. The pieces of material to be inserted are designated 33 and the sheet being folded is designated 34. Guides 35 are adjustably mounted on the plate 30, the latter being provided with slots 36 and the guides 35 carry clamping elements 31 for this purpose. Each of the guides 35 includes a piece of sponge rubber 38 or the like to contact the edges of the material 33 to prevent the same from accidentally sliding down. A transverse rod 39 is supported by the guides 35. Arms 40 are mounted on the rod 39 spaced from the guides 35 by spacers M on the rod 39. The lower ends of the arms 40 rest on the uppermost insert 33 to keep it straight as it is being fed or advanced. The arms 40 are adjustable with the guides along the rod 39. The inserts 33 are fed by a feed pad 42 connected with the lower ends of arms 43 loosely connected with a rocker 44 supported for rocking motion by bearings 45 secured to the under side of the plate 30. The rocker 44 is operated by a pitman having one end connected with the rocker 45 as at 51 and its opposite end connected as at 38 with an adjustable cam 49 fixed on one of the arbors of the roller i5, as shown most clearly in Fig. l. A bracket 50 is secured to each of the legs M. A feed roller 51 is resiliently supported by the brackets 50 as at 52. The roller 5i operates with the auxiliary roller I2. A feed roller 53 is supported as at 5d'by the brackets 55 and this roller cooperates with the roller 5|. The rollers 5i and 53 are disposed below the plate 35 adjacent the plate or wall 20 of the pocket H5. The arrows in Fig. 4 indicate the direction in which the various rollers rotate. Deflecting means are arranged above and belowthe rollers 55 and 53 to guide the inserts 33 from the stack to the rollers 5i and 53, and from the latter into the fold pocket l5. In the present instance the deflecting means consists of a plate 55 swingable on the shaft of the roller 53 and a deflecting bar 56 secured to the legs (ii.

In accordance with the invention the fold pocket [5 has an elongated opening 51 in its plate or wall 29. The opening 5! extends parallel to the pivot rod 23 and the axes of the rollers 5| and 53. A guard lip 58 is formed in continuation of the wall 25 along the lower side of the opening 51. The deflector 55 guides the leading edge portion of the insert through the opening 51, and said insert rides on the lip 58 as shown in Fig. 4. The fold pocket l5 has limited pivotal movement in opposite directions, and is under tension "by virtue of a tension device 59 which cooperates with a downturned and inwardly bent portion 50 of the rod 23. This spring tension is desirable due to the stiffness of the paper resulting from the paper being folded upon itself.

The fold pocket M, in conjunction with the rollers Ill, H and i2 and the adjacent deflector I1, produces the first fold in the sheet 34, and the pocket I5, in conjunction with the rollers Ii], [2 and I3 and the deflector ll between-the rollers 12 and I3, produces the second fold in the sheet 34. As shown in Fig. 4, the second fold is about to be made in the sheet 34. The device of the present invention operates in timed accord with the sheet-folding mechanism. The pad 42 is moved forward with each one-half revolution of thecam 49 and thereby advances the uppermost inserts 33. The leading edge of the insert engages the deflector 55, which guides it to the pinch of the rollers 51 and 53 which advance the insert downward. The leading edge of the insert is deflected by the bar 56 through the opening 51 into the pocket l5. The insert is approxi- 'mately 3 inches wide in order to lie between the first and third folds of the sheet 34. The insert is carried with the folded sheet to be enclosed in a suitable envelope.

.From the foregoing it will be understood that the objects of the invention may be attained with the device. of the present invention hereinabove described. It is to be understood that certain details of the invention may be modified orrearranged without departing from the spirit of the invention in accordance with the appended claims.

I claim: 1. The combination with a sheet folding mechanism including a fold element of inverted U shape into which each sheet is partly projected in the folding operation, said fold element having an opening in one wall thereof; of a device for feeding pieces of material one at a time through said opening between folds of each sheet as it is being folded by said mechanism.

3. A device for feeding pieces of material one at a time between the folds of a sheet as it is being folded, said device including a support on which the pieces of material are stacked, a feed member which advances one piece of material at a time, and deflecting means which direct the pieces between said folds as aforesaid.

4. A device for feeding pieces of material one at a time between folds of a sheet as it is being folded, said device including cooperative feed rollers; and a deflector to direct each piece of material in a desired direction as it is received from the action of said rollers.

5. A device including a fold element of inverted U shape, said fold element having an elongated opening in one wall thereof, and a guard lip in continuation of said wall extending along the lower side of said opening.

6. A device for feeding pieces of material one at a time between folds of sheets as the latter are being folded one at a time, including a support on which the pieces of material are stacked, a feed member operable to advance one piece of material at a time, a pair of cooperative feed rollers, and deflecting means above and below said rollers which direct the pieces from the support to said rollers and from the rollers between said folds as the sheets are fed by said feed member.

'7. The combination with a sheet folding mechanism including a sheet folding pocket having limited pivotal movement in opposite directions, said pocket being of inverted U formation and its pivot being disposed a suitable distance below the closed end thereof, said pocket having an elongated opening in one wall thereof paralleling the pivot,of a device for feeding pieces of material one at a time through said opening into said pocket so as to be inserted between folds of each sheet as it is being folded by said mechanism.

8. A device for feeding inserts one at a time between the folds of each sheet as the sheets are being folded one at a time by a folding mechanism, said device including an inclined support on which said inserts are stacked, a feed member operable to advance one insert at a time from said stack, cooperative feed rollers below said support at one end thereof, and deflecting means above and below said rollers which direct the inserts from the support to said rollers and from the rollers between said folds as the inserts are fed by said feed member.

WALDO E. ROSEBUSH. 

